Syndicate

After the way Eli Gindi’s 3-year-old colt Break Water Edison worked at Gulfstream Park Wednesday morning, he knows that’s probably the last time off he will get for a while as the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail offers no vacation time.

Under jockey Alan Garcia, the winner of the Nashua Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct on Nov. 2, breezed five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 in his first work since Kimmel shipped the son of Lemon Drop Kid from Payson Park to Gulfstream to prepare for a likely start in the $150,000 Hutcheson Stakes (G2) on Fri., Jan. 30.

“We’ve given him the opportunity to grow up,” said Kimmel. “That’s going to be helpful in the difficult campaign. We just don’t want to knock him out in his first race back.”

The Hutcheson is seven furlongs and Kimmel and Garcia had an open discussion about choosing that race over the $150,000 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at 1 1/8 miles on Jan. 31. The trainer concluded that the advantages of starting with a sprint outweighed racing around two turns.

“I just think debuting at a distance you’ve never run before, and after three months off, is a little much to ask,” said Kimmel. “He’s raced well at seven-eighths before. The concern is getting too sharp in a sprint race and we have to be careful we don’t overdo it. There’s no doubt in my mind that longer will be better for this horse. He’s got great tactical speed.”

Garcia allowed Break Water Edison to travel wide on the turn to keep the horse from doing too much in the workout. Despite the ground loss, the colt finished his final quarter-mile in 23 3/5 according to Kimmel’s stopwatch.

Break Water Edison has two wins from five starts with a second-place finish in the Saratoga Special (G2) last summer in addition to his Nashua victory.

“I thought she ran a visually impressive race,” he said. “She ranged up on the outside and might have gotten a little late, but she came back great and has worked well since. She should be tighter this time.”

Elusive Lady, a 4-year-old Florida-bred daughter of Van Nistelrooy, won the 2007 Tempted Stakes (G3) and placed in two graded stakes last spring at Tampa and Aqueduct before going on an eight-month vacation.

High Hopes for Hello Broadway in Hutcheson

Elizabeth Valando’s 3-year-old prospect Hello Broadway proved he can adjust his speed on the fly when he worked six furlongs Wednesday at Gulfstream Park ahead of his seasonal debut in the $150,000 Hutcheson Stakes (G2) on Jan. 30.

Trained by Barclay Tagg, the son of Broken Vow flew through the early part of his workout, but geared down considerably through the lane to post a time of 1:15 3/5.

“It thought it was really good,” said Tagg. “I thought the track was a little slow today, so it was hard to judge, but he went quick early and slowed down. We’re glad to have that work under him. He’s still got a big work ahead of him.”

Hello Broadway, a half-brother of 2007 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) winner Nobiz Like Shobiz, will be making his fourth career start in the Hutcheson looking to build on a second-place finish in the Nashua Stakes on Nov. 2 at Aqueduct.

The Hutcheson will be a cutback in distance for the Kentucky-bred to seven furlongs. That fact is prominent in Tagg’s mind as he plans a final workout next week and the overall winter/spring schedule.

“The fact that he dialed it down in today’s work helps,” said Tagg. “We don’t want him too tight. We want him to get just enough to show some quickness at seven-eighths, but we don’t want him burned up and on the muscle in that race.”

Tagg has projected Hello Broadway’s schedule to run from the Hutcheson to the one-mile $250,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) on Feb. 28 and the 1 1/8 miles, $750,000 Florida Derby (G1) on Mar. 28.

Tagg also reported Charles Fipke’s 4-year-old Tale of Ekati continues to prepare for his season debut in the $250,000 Richter Scale (G2) on Feb. 14. The winner of the Cigar Mile (G1) in his last start (via disqualification of Harlem Rocker) breezed five furlongs in 1:02 Wednesday morning at Gulfstream.

School’s Out for Julia Tuttle Ahead of Sunshine Millions

When the winter plans for Marion Montanari’s 4-year-old filly Julia Tuttle were disrupted, trainer Ferris Allen figured the daughter of Giant’s Causeway could work on a new running style.

After sending the front-runner to a seventh-place finish at Tampa Bay Downs in an optional/allowance race where she came from off the pace, Allen is leaving the strategy in the hands of a Hall of Famer when she teams with Edgar Prado in the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

“We took her back to see if she could learn some versatility,” said Allen Wednesday morning after Julia Tuttle breezed five furlongs in 1:03 3/5. “We figured since it was just an allowance race, let’s give her a chance to go to school. It’s pretty clear she got confused and it was a roughly-run race. This time we will put Edgar on her and let him do the schooling.”

Allen doesn’t think the Tampa trip was a missed opportunity. He points to other races Julia Tuttle has run at distances similar to Saturday’s Florida-bred/California-bred 1 1/8 miles test and thinks some good should emerge.

“I think she should be a little more relaxed,” said Allen. “The other times we tried to rate her, it didn’t really work either, but she acts like she can run all day. There have been times when she was rank and wore herself out, but on a nice, firm course, I don’t think distance would be a problem even if she does set the pace.”

Julia Tuttle won the Twin Lights Stakes at Monmouth Park in August and finished third in the Virginia Oaks (G3) at Colonial Downs in July before tiring in a pair of stakes in the fall.

Prado will be aboard Julia Tuttle for the first time Saturday. The pair drew post 6 of eight runners.

“It looks like she has a shot for a lot of money considering the size of the field,” said Allen.

Jungle Brew Returns in Friday Feature on Three-Race Win Streak

Stronach Stable’s 4-year-old Canadian homebred colt Jungle Brew will get plenty of support when he makes his season debut in Friday’s optional/allowance feature at 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream Park, despite the fact that he will be making his first start on any surface but the Polytrack surface at Woodbine.

Jockey Rene Douglas will ride Jungle Brew for trainer Brian Lynch in the field of nine older horses. A son Milwaukee Brew, Jungle Brew won his last three starts last year after finishing second in his first two career appearances in the spring, and finishing ninth in the Queen’s Plate as his stablemate filly Ginger Brew finished a game second, beaten a half-length for it all.

John Oxley’s 6-year-old Extreme Supreme should be a solid contender in Friday’s race with Cornelio Velasquez to ride for trainer John Ward. The son of Deputy Minister makes his first start since finishing fifth in the Prairie Bayou Stakes at Turfway Park on Dec. 13 after a strong second behind Zanjero in the Kentucky Cup Classic (G2) there in late September.

The Tex Sutton Forwarding charter flight from Southern California with a stop-over in New Orleans bringing horses to run in the four Sunshine Millions stakes races to be run at Gulfstream Park on Saturday arrived safely into Opa-Locka Airport early Tuesday afternoon and were bedded down at the track by 3 p.m.

Two others trained by Greg Gilchrist arrived Tuesday on a FedEx cargo flight from Oakland, Calif. with Wild Promises for the Filly & Mare Turf and High Resolve for the Hill ‘n’ Dale Filly & Mare Sprint.

The South Florida-trained runners bound for the four Sunshine Million stakes to be run Saturday at Santa Anita left Opa-Locka Airport early Wednesday morning on the Tex Sutton Forwarding charter turning around overnight with a stop in New Orleans on the way.

Two of Gulfstream’s leading jockeys will also make the trip to ride at Santa Anita Saturday with Eibar Coa’s mounts to include Icy Atlantic, Leigh McLovin, Carnacks Choice and Leah’s Secret. Trujillo has the call on Presious Passion, Yesbyjimminy and Amazing.